Song and Silence
by Tolly
Summary: A mute trainer sets out on a journey to conquer Sinnoh's Contests and Pokemon League, determined to prove that she doesn't need to speak to succeed. Of course, with friends like hers, Reinette's journey won't be simple! Platinum-based, Game Anime
1. ONE: Journey Begins

**Song and Silence**

_Oh my god, I can't believe I'm actually writing this at last! I've had this story on the brain for seriously more than a year now, and finally I'm in a position to get it out of my head and onto your screen._

_Based on a mix of the Platinum game and the Sinnoh seasons of the anime, with a fair dose of head-canon mixed in. Main character is a girl, but I played her as a boy because that 'winter' dress makes me feel like a pervert. (You can imagine what B/W did to my brain!)_

**ONE – Journey Begins**

Her parents were fighting again.

If she was honest, she knew that they'd always fought as far back as she could remember, which was why her father was mostly an image on a videophone screen and a figure in a white coat who would visit once in a blue moon. The problem was that all the recent fights were about her.

_Knock it off, Reinette!_ she scolded herself mentally, smacking herself lightly upside the head. She was sixteen at last, and that meant a full, unsupervised Pokémon Trainer's licence. And even more importantly, a starter Pokémon! A friend she could call hers and hers alone, not a 'mon owned by the school or one of her mother's plentiful grass-types from her own journey many years ago.

Sweet Sixteen indeed!

As soon as her best friend arrived, they were going to head out for Professor Rowan's lab together. Technically he should have been in the previous month's trainer intake, but he'd insisted on waiting for her so they could start their journey on the same day. It was just one of the many reasons her father was freaking out.

Honestly, you'd think he would have worked out that she could kick Barry's ass during that visit when they were twelve... Oh well. She finished twisting her hair up and pulled on the beret her mother had given her for her birthday, pushing her fringe into her eyes a little but otherwise taming the unruly waves.

Speak of the devil, she could hear him pounding up the stairs in his usual hurricane of energy, and sure enough he burst in without even bothering to knock, eyes even more bright than usual with excitement. He too was dressed for travel, simple dark jeans and one of his trademark white and orange striped shirts, along with a brand new green scarf looped around his neck.

"Whoa, where'd all your hair go?" he asked, peering under her beret before shrugging. "Never mind! Come on, open your gift and let's go!" She blinked as a small soft package wrapped in an all too familiar haphazard style was shoved into her hands, tugging the paper away and grinning at the soft white scarf with a Buneary embroidered on one end. Aww, he'd remembered!

"Come on come on come on let's _go!_" The instant the scarf was looped around her neck he grabbed her hand and led the charge down the stairs. Both of their mothers were waiting in the lounge, cups of tea steaming as they shared on of those secretive looks that were becoming increasingly common between them. Barry's dad was home even less often than hers, but he kept in much more frequent and dedicated contact. It was only natural that the only two women in Twinleaf Town raising children alone would gravitate together, and even more natural for their of-an-age children to become best friends.

Sometimes she actually kind of wanted to call Barry's dad and thank him, but that was both cruel and beyond messed up. She would call him one day, though, just to thank him for bringing her best friend into the world.

Sometimes her common sense took a really embarrassing vacation.

"Muuuuum," Barry groaned, trying to shrug his mother off as she adjusted his collar and brushed some of his fringe from his face. "Officer Jenny is waiting for us, come oooooon..."

"Now remember, come and see us as soon as you get your starters," her mother said, smiling that calm smile that spoke of the faith she had in Reinette's abilities. "I expect to see a Turtwig now!" That was her mother all over, a dedicated lover of grass-types until the end.

A horn sounded from outside and Barry grabbed her hand again, rolling his eyes a little in an attempt to disguise the nervous little tremble running through him. "We're leaving now!" And with that they ran outside to the waiting Officer Jenny who patrolled the length of Route 201 and up to Lake Verity on her bike. It wasn't the first time she'd been called upon to escort new trainers to Professor Rowan's – just six months before, the twins Dawn and Lucas had bundled into her sidecar. Last she'd heard, Dawn was making a name for herself in contests and Lucas was stampeding through the gyms of Sinnoh with his Turtwig.

"I swear you all look younger every year," Jenny said as they scrambled into the sidecar. While technically one of them could have ridden behind the police woman, it was something of a little tradition amongst the teens of Twinleaf to, well, not. Nobody could say off the top of their head _why_, it was just the way things were. "Next stop, Professor Rowan's!"

.oOo.

"Is it just me, or is this place bigger on the inside than on the outside?" Barry asked as they followed Professor Rowan through his lab. He had a point; it was fairly unassuming, if a little on the large side, on the outside, but the inside seemed impossibly huge and busy. "Oh man, I hope we get there soon!"

"You're the last new trainers coming through this month," Professor Rowan was saying, stoically ignoring Barry's excitement. "We still have one of each of the starter Pokémon left, but only one. I hope that won't inconvenience you."

"Nah, we already know who we want!" Sometimes Barry's ability to go from sugar rush fast to surprisingly calm was beyond disconcerting. "Don't we, Reinie? _OW!_"

_That'll teach him to use that nickname in front of the Professor of all people!_ Hell, it hadn't even been that much of a hit, just a sharp jab to the arm and an annoyed glare. Still, it was enough.

"Sorry... but do you really have to hit me every time I call you that? You have a mean jab!" She smiled sweetly. "Okay, okay, I get it! Ahh, we're falling behind, come on!"

He grabbed her hand and they ran after the Professor, grinning like loons.

The trainer's room was open and airy, with large windows that opened out onto the grounds. It was obviously made for much larger gatherings of trainers and Pokémon, but at the moment it was playing host to a single trio of starters and a couple of assistants feeding them and completing their final check-ups.

"Aw yeah!" Barry almost vibrated for a moment before dashing over to the starters, grinning so wide it almost seemed like his face would split. "Wow, you're all so strong! Man, have you ever seen such a tough-looking Turtwig?"

She didn't know about tough, but it was a cute-looking one! Of course, all three starters were adorable, but it was obvious that Barry had already made his choice.

So had she. She made her way to the table and waited for the Piplup to finish eating, smiling down at it when it finally looked up and noticed her. As soon as it realised it had an audience, it stood up on its tiny feet and started waving, chirping away happily and doing its best to say 'pick me!' at the top of its tiny lungs.

It was perfect. It was cute, it was happy, it was definitely more enthusiastic than the Chimchar – who was curling up to sleep and looking uncaring in the utmost – and best of all, it wasn't a grass type! She didn't hate grass types, not even a little, but after six years of having their superiority drilled into her head she wanted something else. Besides, Barry had decided on Turtwig years ago.

She rested her hand on the Piplup's head and smiled. She'd expected it's skin to be cold, maybe even damp, but its skin was soft and warm like expensive suede warmed by body heat, with just a hint of soft fuzz tickling her fingers. She grinned over at Barry, nodding.

"We're ready!" The Turtwig was running around in small circles, yapping out a happy "Twig, twig!" at her friend. Unusually energetic for the breed, but it would suit Barry well. "I want Turtwig!"

Reinette picked up the Piplup, who promptly snuggled in against her scarf and chirped softly, one flipper-like arm petting her face. "Pip."

"Heh, you two are cute," Barry said, toying lightly with the leaves on Turtwig's head. "So, let's get on with this! I want to see just how strong my Turtwig is!"

Things kind of went into a flurry from there. There were pokéballs and pokédex and more pokéballs, instructions, recommendations for varieties of premade food and fruits and living habits, until it was all swirling around in Reinette's head and Barry was vibrating from restrained energy again.

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Let's go let's go let's _go!_" Barry suddenly shouted, and she face-palmed gently. Not that she could entirely blame him, she wanted to leave just as badly as he did, but... Well, what if they missed something important?

"Reinette, I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!" Aaaaand there it was. She just gave him a long, almost expressionless look until he flushed rather red. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Alright, I challenge you to a Pokémon battle first thing tomorrow!"

"We do have a battle area outside if you really want to," Rowan said, smiling kindly. "I could hardly deprive you of your first battle with your very own Pokémon!"

"Ah, no, really, we should go home and show our mothers our Pokémon like _now_," Barry said, grabbing her free hand firmly. Piplup had shown absolutely no inclination to return to its ball and was still firmly ensconced in the folds of her scarf. "Thanks very much, Professor Rowan!"

There was just enough time to nod before Barry dragged her out of the room and through the lab, so quickly that she had to run to keep up. He kept glancing over his shoulder, like he was afraid they were going to be followed.

::Calm down!:: she signed awkwardly once they stopped, trying to keep Piplup balanced against her shoulder. ::What was that all about?::

"Well, it's just, what if he found out about your condition? He might take your Piplup away and revoke your licence and we _have_ to meet in the Sinnoh League!" He was practically flailing, blonde hair flying around wildly. "I couldn't let that happen!"

::Aww!:: she signed, letting out the soft almost-huffing noise that was the closest she could manage to a little giggle. ::Barry, it's okay. He gave me a special Pokédex for a reason, he's known for months.::

"Whaaaaaaaaat?" If the circumstances had been almost any different, she would probably have laughed from the way he reeled back with wide eyes. "You mean I was all worried for nothing? Ahhhh! I should fine you ten million poke! One hundred million! Wait, 'special' Pokédex? It's just a green one, isn't it?"

"Piiiip?" Piplup climbed up onto her shoulder as she flipped open the Pokédex, pulling out the small keyboard that had been added into the lower half of the device, leaning in curiously as her fingers flickered across the keys lightning fast. "Pip-Piplup!"

"Check it out," the Pokédex spoke, in a distinctly more human voice than was usual for the devices. It was still flat and a tiny bit tinny, but it sounded like a recording of an actual human as opposed to something synthesised. "It talks for me. I have a voice now. Kind of."

Piplup crooned and patted her throat with a gentle touch, chirping softly into her ear. She couldn't resist pulling it into a hug, smiling widely and blushing in happiness. A moment later she was blushing even more when Barry pulled them both into a relieved hug.

"That's awesome! And now, the next stop is the Sinnoh League! ...After we go home and give your mum a heart attack, anyway."

.oOo.

**Reinette's Roster:**

Piplup – Relaxed Nature, somewhat of a clown.

.oOo.

_And thus ends the first chapter! _


	2. TWO: Learning Curve

_I forgot disclaimers last time, mea culpa!_

_Pokémon and all its offshoots, spin-offs, characters and mons are the property of Game Freak. All I own is Reinette, and she owns herself. I didn't make the sand box, I'm just playing in it. _

_Many thanks to the reviewer who brought my lack of notes on this subject to my attention. Any text bracketed by the :: marks represents sign language. Not telepathy. I dislike telepathy as a narrative device and would especially never use it in this context._

**TWO – Learning Curve**

Barry's Turtwig was bolting around the town square, followed closely by Barry himself as it examined each and every flower and plant. Piplup was dozing quietly in her arms, tummy bulging after a meal of berries and fruits. Even though her mother had been sad that she hadn't chosen Turtwig, Piplup's cuteness had won her over almost instantly.

"Professor Rowan did an amazing job on this Pokédex," her mother said, sitting on the bench next to her and laughing as Turtwig and Barry scrambled past in a race to be the first to reach the willow by the water. "It may be a little awkward at first, but I'm sure you'll get used to it."

::Well, Barry did teach me to type,:: she signed carefully, grinning. If you did anything with him, you learned to do it very, very quickly. ::So, I've been thinking about some things Professor Rowan said on TV the other day. Do we still have my old recorder?::

"Your recorder? You mean the one from the school concert when Barry's family first arrived? Yes, it's in the attic with your old dresses, I think. Do I even want to know?"

::Probably not.::

.oOo.

The sun had gone down almost completely and dinner had been eaten before Reinette finally had the chance to be alone with her new friend. Her Pokédex had confirmed her initial impression that he was a boy, though, which was something. Precisely what, though, she wasn't sure.

Piplup watched from her pillow as she pulled out her Pokédex, bringing out the small keyboard once more. Typing and writing at speed had come naturally to her for quite a while, thought it was more out of necessity than out of a love for the written word.

"I want to try something," the Pokédex intoned, and Piplup rested its flippers on the top of the upper screen and peered over, trying to work out why the voice was coming from the device instead of her. "Will you please watch my hands closely?"

"Piplup!"

::Okay, if you can understand what I'm saying when I move my hands like this, tap my left hand,:: she signed, holding out her hands when she was done and watching curiously. If the Professor was correct and Pokémon had the ability to instinctively understand all human communication...

(She'd gotten the idea from a story about the new Union Rooms that allowed trainers to trade Pokémon with people from other regions without ever having met them. Professor Rowan had put forth the idea that Pokémon understood all human language, which was why they didn't have any trouble understanding their new trainers regardless of the actual words involved. She hadn't understood the explanation that followed, but the point had come through loud and clear regardless.)

Slowly, Piplup leaned forwards and tapped her left hand gently, as if he wasn't quite sure that he'd understood correctly. If she'd had the ability, she would have cheered loud enough to wake the entire town, but she settled for pulling the water Pokémon into a hug and dancing around the room. He'd understood!

Despite the fact that she'd lived her entire silent life in Twinleaf Town, only her mother, Barry and Barry's mother had actually made the effort to learn sign language. The local school teacher (there were so few youths in the town that there was only one teacher for all of them) had tried, but given up after learning only the most basic of gestures, and after that it had just been easier to write notes or not even try.

But if Pokémon understood, even just a little... Oh, this was absolutely fantastic!

It still wasn't quite right for normal battling, but for appeals in contests it would be terribly useful... And that was the million poke-dollar question right there. Should she focus on contests, or on the Sinnoh League?

On one hand, in contests her silence would be seen as more of a stylistic difference than an outright disability, and her mother would be more than happy to see her following in the footsteps of the women in their family. Not to mention handing down as many of her accessories as she could carry. On the other, the gym challenges would be full of adrenaline and chaos, and besides, Barry was absolutely determined for them to meet in the Sinnoh League one day. There were good arguments for both paths.

She sat back down on her bed and put Piplup back in front of her, doing her best to look serious despite the joy still running through her. ::We need to decide what we're going to do now that we're partners.::

"Pip-pip!" Piplup puffed up proudly, patting his chest a couple of times as if to say 'You can rely on me, partner!' "Piplup!"

::We can do contests or gym battles... I leave it up to you. I want you to choose, because it's your future too. Left hand, contests, right hand, gym battles.::

Piplup looked from hand to hand for several long moments, chirping away to itself quietly before reaching out and patting both of her hands at the same time. For a long moment she just stared, before bursting out into a gale of huffing almost-laughter.

.oOo.

"I hope you're ready for this!" Barry yelled, grinning over from the far side of the town's makeshift battleground. His Turtwig stood before him, eyes fixed on Piplup with almost unnerving intensity.

"Same to you," the Pokédex said, and she thought dark thoughts at its complete lack of emphasis. While it was nice having an actual voice, the lack of emotion was starting to bother her already.

"Here we come! Turtwig, use Tackle! Goooooo!"

Turtwig bounded forwards, building up steam quickly and kicking up puffs of dust with every step. With its hard shell and speed, it would pack a pretty impressive punch if it managed to land the hit.

"Dodge and Pound," the Pokédex said, and Piplup leapt gracefully over Turtwig's charge, pivoting in midair and slamming down on Turtwig's shell. "Pound."

"Tackle, and keep at it until you get through!"

_Oh crap!_ Despite Piplup's grace, Turtwig was faster on its feet, and she couldn't keep up with her 'dex offering the commands. She'd known this was a possibility from the first moment she'd come up with the idea of letting her Pokédex talk for her, but hadn't expected it to be a problem in her very first battle!

Turtwig skidded into a turn and barrelled down at Piplup, sending him flying before she could type in a command. A high-pitched noise of fright escaped her as the little penguin Pokémon went flying, and she ran forward just in time to catch him before he could hit the ground.

::Stop,:: she signed with one hand, cradling Piplup close with the other. No way were they going to win fighting like this. ::We give up.::

"Aww, already? Fine, but next time you'd better not back out so fast!" Barry launched himself into a flailing victory dance, Turtwig imitating him surprisingly well. They really did make an amazing pair. "Yeah, Turtwig! You're awesome strong!"

"Piiip." Piplup rubbed his head a little awkwardly, looking a bit embarrassed, and she hugged him a little closer. It hadn't been his fault. It had, however, made her even more determined to work on the idea that had hit her on the ride back the previous day.

After all, nobody had ever said it was going to be easy.

.oOo.

"What do you mean, you're not leaving with Barry?" her mother demanded, hands on hips and glaring fit to melt the spine of the unwary. It was a damn good glare, and only long experience kept Reinette from shaking in her shoes. "Why wouldn't you leave with him? The two of you have only been promising to battle each other in the Sinnoh League since you were six!"

::We want to do contests too,:: she signed, glancing over at her napping Piplup, curled up on one of the couch cushions next to her mother's extremely disgruntled Glameow. ::Can you see Barry waiting around for me to pack clothes and pick out jewellery?::

"Well why didn't you _say_ so?" As quick as the flick of a switch, the mood turned from furious to happy. "You're quite right, he'd never wait for that. Go say goodbye to him and then we'll get you all ready for the Jubilife Newcomers Contest! Run along, go!"

_I love my mummy._

She picked up the still-sleeping Piplup and ran out to the ornate gates that separated the town from Route 201 and the Bidoof colony that lived in the forest nearby. It was far from Pokémon-proof, but apart from the occasional flock of Starly, the local 'mons tended to pretty much keep out of the way.

'There you are!" Barry called, grinning even more than usual. "Come on, if we don't leave soon it'll be dark before we reach Sandgem! Hey, what happened to your bag? Do I need to fine you?"

::Ah.:: Awkward... ::I'm not leaving yet.:: As expected, Barry started flailing wildly, a torrent of words falling from his mouth so quickly that even she couldn't keep up. ::Unless you want to help me shop for dresses?::

"Arceus itself will come down and crown me king of the universe before you willingly wear a dress in public." They both snickered, and she dropped into a half-curtsey.

::Your majesty. Seriously, though, Piplup and I want to try contests as well as gym battles, and I'm not prepared just yet.::

"Well, alright... But if I don't see you at Oreburgh City I'm fining you ten million poke-dollars!" They hugged briefly, breaking apart with twin blushes when one of the Johnson twins – two boys who were mischievous in the extreme – wolf-whistled loudly. "Don't you dare lose at Jubilife! I'll be watching!"

::Don't you lose either! I want to see a badge when I get there!::

"You bet!"

The sound of their high-five echoed through the late afternoon air. It actually physically hurt to watch him walk away, and she pulled Piplup closer to her chest. She would see him again soon enough, sure, but...

She'd just have to make sure that she had something to show him, wouldn't she?

.oOo.

**Reinette's Roster:**

Male Piplup – Relaxed Nature, somewhat of a clown


	3. THREE: First Steps

_Fixed the scene breaks in chapters one and two. Hopefully they're a bit more readable now. I swear I shall never get used to how this site handles the damn things._

**THREE – First Steps**

A week's worth of food in the form of dried fruit and meat along with several cans of pre-made Poké-food, a map of the Sinnoh region with a few notes from her mother scribbled on it (mostly about colonies of Pokémon that she thought might be good Contest selections), several changes of casual clothes and a couple of carefully folded dresses, a small bag of jewellery, and a single person tent that could be folded down into a surprisingly tiny space. How she'd managed to fit the entire lot into a single (albeit big) bag was a mystery for the ages, even to her.

"Come here, Piplup!" her mother called, holding a slender silver chain in her hands. "I have something for you!"

"Pip!" Piplup bounced off the cushion it had been napping on and scurried across the main room of Reinette's home, peeping happily and almost dancing around her feet. "Lup-lup!"

Her mother leaned down and clipped the silver chain carefully around Piplup's neck, a little claw-shaped pendant sitting just on the edge of the darker blue ruffs, and the penguin Pokémon made a curious noise and petted at the smooth curve. There was more to the chain, she noticed, hanging down Piplup's back, presumably so it could be loosened and adjusted as he grew and evolved.

"It's a Quick Claw," her mother said, adjusting the hang of the claw a little before standing. "My Turtwig was wearing it when I won my first ribbon. Keep it as a good luck charm, okay Piplup?"

"Piplup." He kept patting the claw gently, holding it for a moment or two before letting it fall back into place. If anything, he seemed rather solemn, obviously understanding how much the little accessory meant to her mother.

::Oh, Mum,:: she signed, hands awkward from emotion. ::I swear I'll make you proud.::

"You already do." They hugged each other fiercely, Reinette burying her head in the familiar warmth of a shoulder for a moment before they broke apart. She almost wanted to cry, but fought the urge back.

"Joanna?" Barry's mother was at the door, peering into the living room with a hopeful expression. "Oh good, you're still here!"

She pulled out her Pokédex and typed furiously as the mothers exchanged quick pleasantries, smiling brilliantly when it spoke. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Palmer."

"Oh!" Alright, even though it was utterly useless for battle, she had to admit that the addition was excellent for surprising people. "Good afternoon, Reinette! Actually, I'm glad you're here. Could you do a favour for me?"

A few more moments of speedy typing had a reply ready. "I would be happy to." It was interesting, but the extra effort involved in getting words out this way made her feel like it was far more important to be polite, maybe even formal. She always had been polite to Mrs. Palmer, though; after the antics she and Barry had performed together over the years, she owed her that much at the very least!

"My Barry left his map behind," she said, holding out a furled and laminated map of the Sinnoh region. "If anyone could ever catch up to him, it would be you, so do give it to him when you meet."

She nodded and tucked the map into one of the side pockets of her bag, adjusting the straps one last time. It was time to go, if she wanted to reach the Pokécenter in Sandgem Town before dark. Route 201 was quite short and safe, thankfully, and the paved road meant that her chances of encountering an aggressive wild Pokémon was quite minimal. That still didn't mean that she wanted to travel it at night, though.

::I have to go now, mum,:: she signed, slow and sad, accepting another hug with the knowledge that she likely wouldn't be seeing one for quite some time. That was the point of the Pokémon journey, after all; learning to live without one's family and the safety net of childhood and home, relying only on one's own abilities and the bond with one's Pokémon.

"Be safe." Piplup leapt up onto her shoulder gracefully, bracing himself against her scarf just a little to keep his balance. "And you keep a good eye on her, young man!"

"Pip-Piplup!" He saluted sharply.

.oOo.

Route 201, located in the south-western part of the Sinnoh Region. It was mostly unremarkable, but to someone who'd never been further away than Sandgem town it represented freedom. At least, that was how Reinette viewed it. As much as she loved her home, and the people there, she wanted nothing more in the world than to prove that she could live perfectly well without their help.

The sad fact of the matter was that so few people were willing to believe it was even possible for her to get anywhere that it was a genuine miracle that she'd managed to even get the paperwork for her licence through. It had only gotten this far through a combination of begging, pleading, a desperate letter to Professor Rowan and the Champion herself unexpectedly weighing in on the matter. Once Rowan had accepted the challenge of modifying a Pokédex and Cynthia had said her piece (on Sinnoh Now! Live, no less! But it would make life easier for any who followed her despite not being 'healthy'), it had been pretty difficult for the League to say no to her.

Piplup marched along the stone-paved road in time with her, patting the Quick Claw occasionally and keeping up a constant string of happy "Pip-Piplup!" He seemed to be just as pleased to be on the road as she was.

Sandgem town was a blur on the horizon when Officer Jenny pulled up beside her, sounding the little horn of her scooter to catch her attention. Her smile looked dry and a little forced, but at least she was making the effort.

"Good Afternoon, Officer," she said through the Pokédex, unable to keep from smiling at the way the policewoman's Arcanine was looking down at Piplup. It looked like it was trying to work out if it was food or a toy; she'd seen the same look on the muzzle of a Mightyena once.

"Not for much longer, I'm afraid," she said, her smile fading. "We've just gotten a weather report that a hurricane will be coming across tonight heading towards Pastoria. You've got to get to the Pokécenter immediately! Climb on!"

She nodded and held out Piplup's Pokéball, letting out a huff of relief when he obediently returned to the safety of the crimson and white ball before climbing up behind Officer Jenny, holding her waist tightly. It had been years since a hurricane had hit Sinnoh, but everyone over the age of about nine remembered the horror of the last one. Sunyshore had been almost completely rebuilt after the chaos. Sure, it was impressive now, but innumerable magnificent old buildings and priceless remnants of the past had been lost.

"Here we go!"

It was nothing like the ride she'd shared with Barry, the joy and anticipation of having her own Pokémon and the future unfolding in front of her. Jenny pushed the engine hard until it roared and screamed in protest, and the wind and cold pulled unwanted tears from her eyes. A brief glance back when they took a sharp turn revealed a sky already going black as ink, and the rising wind tugged her beret away. She reached out for it, tried to snatch it back, but it was gone, sailing over the trees in the vague direction of Route 202 and Jubilife city. If she could have sworn out loud, she would have.

(The previous night had revealed that Professor Rowan had included some kind of programming block in the special 'dex to prevent foul language. She hadn't been overly impressed; even a mute girl needs to swear sometimes.)

There was a small rush for the Pokécenter when they arrived, a few trainers coming in from Route 202 and a few locals who didn't have the luck or the money to live in one of the newer buildings, along with a breeder and her gaggle of little ones. There wasn't much room left, but she managed to lay claim to a corner between a long cushioned bench and a wall and spread her sleeping bag out relatively comfortably.

Settled on the bag with some dried fruit – not wanting to stretch Nurse Joy's limited resources any more than they already were – she pulled Piplup's Pokéball from her belt and pressed the button gently, unable to trigger it verbally. At least the person who'd designed them had had the common sense to include said button for emergencies. Piplup looked around and peeped a few times at the chaos before settling into her lap and looking up at her expectantly.

She grinned and opened one of the cans of premade food, huffing softly as he practically buried his head inside it trying to eat it all at once. Certainly she would need to learn how to make it on her own soon, but watching him eat even the mass-produced stuff with such gusto assured her that he was utterly healthy. No sick Pokémon could have that kind of appetite!

"Pip_lup_," he said when he was done, lying back to reveal a bulging belly, sprawling out across the bag with a satisfied look on his face. Within moments he was snoring, tilting unconsciously into her hand as she stroked his head gently, smiling.

Even with the storm roaring outside, a crack of thunder and brilliant lightning making several people scream (including one burly hiker who blushed violently red afterwards), she couldn't be more content with her lot.

.oOo.

**Reinette's Roster:**

Male Piplup – Relaxed Nature, somewhat of a clown


	4. FOUR: New Friend

_Sick as the metaphorical dog at the moment, and classes start up on Monday, so the pace of these chapters is going to drop. I will keep working on this story, though._

**FOUR – New Friend**

Later, Reinette would say that her overwhelming memories of Hurricane Patricia (such a formal name for such a chaotic event) were of noise.

The winds howled loud enough to rattle with windows, each crack of thunder was like a gunshot, and debris bouncing off the walls was a constant hammering like an entire yard full of workers. At one point near one in the morning, a window shattered under the pressure, but thankfully a quick-thinking trainer with a Glalie used Ice Beam to seal it up and several people helped Nurse Joy clean up the mess before anyone could get too badly hurt.

In the end the toll on the Pokécenter was quite small. One broken window, a battered 'P' sign that would need replacement, one panic attack and several cuts and scrapes from the flying glass. The panic attack had been dealt with by Nurse Joy's Chansey, which had been quite the sight. As it turned out, the Softboiled move was not as metaphorically named as some of the newer trainers had believed.

It was well into the day before she left Sandgem, mostly due to the antics of the breeder's collection of young ones. The wreckage of the storm had been too much for them to ignore, and anyone with a Pokémon and the time to spare corralling them had been called in to help. Piplup had talked a couple of Wooper out of a drain, which had been... entertaining. Wooper were actually pretty cute, she had to admit, but none of them could ever be as cute as her Piplup!

"Pip-Piplup!" he chirped as he walked beside her, keeping up with her fairly strict pace without any apparent effort. Indeed, he kept darting forward to investigate anything that caught his eye, investigating with a few soft chirps and peeps before returning to her side. He'd managed to sleep through the majority of the storm far better than his trainer had.

_Nothing seems to faze him_, she thought with an affectionate smile. Indeed, thus far the only signs of surprise she'd gotten from him had been on that last night in Twinleaf, when she'd painstakingly explained her idea for making up for her natural deficiencies in battle. It had taken a while for the idea to finally coalesce in a way she could express, and longer to puzzle out _how_ to make it work the way she wanted it to, but work it would. She hoped.

"Piplup! Pip-Piplup!" Piplup tugged hard at the loose leg of her dark jeans, pointing at the bushes with his other flipper. "Pip pip pip!"

Her hat was lying awkwardly across the top of a bush, at a strange angle that made her think it couldn't possibly have spent the entire night there, not in a hundred years. Even this far away from the path of the devastation, the leaves had been shredded by the winds. And yet it was right there, a little dusty but otherwise in prime condition.

::Well, that's strange.:: Not strange enough to keep her from running forward with the full intent of reclaiming her property, though. Even as her hand reached out, the beret darted back a few inches as if it was alive.

"Piiiip?" Piplup climbed up onto her shoulder, staring down at the hat. She reached out again, and this time the hat scuttled back and fell off the bush, landing upside down on the ground. Something was inside it, flailing and flapping around wildly.

::What. The. Hell.::

The hat shuddered one last time, flopping to the ground as an unusually small Zubat struggled loose, flapping its wings wildly until it was hovering in front of them and letting out sharp cries on the very edge of hearing. It darted forward and back in an aggressive manner, keening louder with every moment.

::I think it wants a fight.:: Piplup chirped his approval, jumping down and almost bouncing in place in front of her, every inch of him projecting readiness to battle. With a flourish she swung her bag from her shoulders, pulling her battered old recorder from a side pocket. ::Ready?::

"Piplup!"

_God, I hope this works._

She licked her lips twice, nervously, put the recorder to her lips and blew out a middle C. Just as they'd practiced, Piplup threw himself forwards, his flipper glowing white as he delivered a Pound attack to the Zubat's left ear.

_YES!_

"Pip!" If Piplup had been a human, she was certain he would have been grinning like a madman.

The Zubat drew a deep breath, ears flattening low to its head, and a B-flat told Piplup to leap out of the way, the humming pulse of Supersonic narrowly missing him. It was working! It was actually working!

D-Sharp called for a Bubble, and the cloud of watery spheres surrounded the wild Pokémon and burst, knocking it to the ground with a cry so high it was more felt than heard.

She scrambled for an empty Pokéball, almost dropping it twice before managing to hit the button to prime it. Alright, all she needed to do was throw hard and true, that wasn't so hard. She was pretty good at backyard baseball, it was totally the same principal. Take aim, wind up and _throw!_

The ball bounced firmly off the Zubat's body, opening and enveloping the little Pokémon in blood-crimson energy. The energy swirled and fought, finally retreating into the Pokéball. She crossed the fingers on both hands as it rocked back and forth for several long moments, her heart in her throat and Piplup all but up on his toes in anticipation.

The tiny click of a successful capture seemed as loud as an explosion. The Pokéball settled down, lying on the ground expectantly. Reinette picked it up slowly, half-expecting it to explode open the instant she touched it. But it didn't; it sat comfortable and faintly warm in her hand.

"Piplup!" She was almost knocked off her feet by the impact of Piplup leaping at her, catching him with her free hand and spinning around in joy, grinning so wide it felt like her face might split. They'd done it! They'd actually battled and caught a wild Pokémon on their own!

She turned and ran back towards the Pokécenter she'd so recently left. She wasn't going to wait until she reached Jubilife for this!

.oOo.

**Reinette's Roster:**

Male Piplup – Relaxed Nature, Somewhat of a clown

Male Zubat – Quirky Nature, Likes to fight

.oOo.

_Sorry for the relative shortness of the chapter, but my medication is making me loopy._


End file.
